


Total Ctrl

by get_glitch3d



Category: Mr. Robot (TV)
Genre: 'hugging the fucking shit outta elliot', APARTMENT ROMANCE, Anxiety Issues, F/M, Gen, Moral Ambiguity, Other, Sexual Content, aw yes, bone zone, dude - Freeform, elliot the flawless casual and cool guy, everything related to rami malek should be tagged as 'bone zone' from here on out, gotta love those computer related titles, is that a tag already, kyle the shady omc, nearly falling from a fire escape, possible drug mention, rick the gay omc, sexual content to....come (ha), those involve the reader hugging the fucking SHIT OUTTA ELLIOT, vague job descriptions, yo, you the amazing beautiful flawless gal, your cat is a matchmaker (obvi)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-04-21 14:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4832645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/get_glitch3d/pseuds/get_glitch3d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are a very spunky person, your neighbour on the floor below you, though... He is another matter. Elliot only returns your cat and then awkwardly leaves, that is until you start babbling about life to him... He has no choice in the matter, not that he wants one, really. He likes staying.</p><p>Except for when your shady boyfriend Kyle is around. (Not for long though, Elliot doesn't want that Jersey Shore reject anywhere near you.) But your gay neighbour with the neon green hair doesn't want your boyfriend around either, for that matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Apartment Above

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Here I am, with another damn Elliot fic. This time an x reader. I published my other one like two days ago, but I'll probably update that one weekly and this will be updated either weekly, whenever I get the chance, whenever I feel like it or sporadically. (Just know I'm not abandoning this - ever.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliot returns your wayward cat. Rick towers over Elliot. You talk about your shady boyfriend. Life is swell.

_Where is she?_ Elliot asked himself. He was standing outside your door, the hoodie surrounding his torso shielding him from the slightly cold hallway. _Should I leave? Did she even hear me knock?_ He thought to himself. He had already knocked, he didn't know what else to say. He was currently holding your cat, the one that so _kindly_ enjoyed jumping through your window, onto the fire escape, down the fire escape to Elliot's portion of the fire escape before jumping into Elliot's apartment and bugging him or trying to eat his fish and groom his dog. It happened nearly every day. 

He decided that climbing up the fire escape to knock on your window and carefully push the cat through the gap in the window was safe... That was until he did it at one o'clock at night and scared the living shit out of you. Elliot was horribly apologetic. The first time he did it, he was successful. You rolled over and made a slight noise, but after he confirmed you were still asleep, he gently eased the wriggling creature back into your apartment and quietly shut the window (just a bit) so the cat couldn't get out. 

But, here he stood, waiting for you to open the door and look relieved to see your wayward cat. After a series of knocks, a couple meows from your cat and about ten minutes, Elliot called out to you. Your name was a struggle to get out, seeing as how he never really used it. He only returned your cat, made sure she stayed out of trouble and always made sure her collar wasn't loose. 

“(Y/N)?” He called. He knocked again, pressing his ear to the door. “I have your cat.” He added, hoping she'd come to the door. Elliot listened as the hallway once more grew quiet, undisturbed by his knocks and shaky voice. “(Y/N)-” He was cut off mid-sentence when another voice interrupted his own.

“She isn't home.” Said the voice. This caused Elliot to jump, turning to find the source of the information. “If she doesn't answer after a million knocks, she isn't home. Hell, if she doesn't answer after one she isn't home.”

The person looked Elliot over as they were halfway out of their apartment. 

“You her boyfriend or something?” The man asked. He had neon green hair on the top of his head.

“Uh....” Elliot watched him, and he was waiting on an answer. “No.”

“Didn't think so.” The guy replied, watching Elliot. He glanced down to what Elliot was holding to see the your cat wriggling about in his hands. Its pepper colored fur moving slightly as it shifted. “Why do you have Ashmore?”

“Got out.” Elliot answered shortly, watching the man nod. He narrowed his eyes slightly, assessing Elliot, most likely. “I just return her cat.”

“Wait, are you the dude who made her scream at like... One in the morning and woke up the whole floor?”

“...Maybe.” He replied.

“I mean, it's not the first time a person has done that.” The guy said, a smirk forming slightly on his face. “Y'know, made her scream in the middle of the night.”

Elliot immediately felt uncomfortable at what the taller guy was saying. “Are you her boyfriend?”

“God, no.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Not that she isn't attractive, I mean, she is. But – I'm just... I'm gay, so...”

Elliot nodded then, watching the guy. 

“Shit, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rick.” He said, approaching Elliot. He stuck out his hand, and Elliot balanced Ashmore in one hand to shake Rick's. “And you are?”

“Elliot.” He replied quietly as the man pulled his hand away. Rick was tall, this much he knew. Sure, a lot of people were taller than Elliot, but this man was _at least_ two and a half heads taller than him. Elliot craned his neck to look up at the man. Rick was courteous enough to step back so Elliot didn't hurt his neck. 

“I can call her, if you want.” Rick offered, watching Elliot shrug. “You don't talk much, do you?”

Elliot shook his head, watching Rick frown slightly before sighing. “No big deal, I get it.” Elliot watched as Rick combed a hand through his upright, neon green hair. “I can let you into her apartment, you can just set Ashmore in there.”

Elliot shook his head once more. That was an invasion of privacy. _Invasion of privacy? You hack people for a living, damn it!_ He thought to himself. 

“Look, (Y/N) probably won't be back for a while, so just leave Ashmore-” The two men heard steps up the stairs and saw you come up, holding a bag of groceries in one hand as you looked down at your keys. _Speak of the Devil..._ Elliot was blocking the path to your door as you looked up to identify the blocker.

“Elliot!” You said happily upon seeing him. “What brings you to my floor?” You asked, watching Elliot turn to present your cat. “She got out again...” You said, confused but not surprised. “Thanks, look, I'm sorry you have to keep coming up here. I hope you haven't been waiting long.”

 _About fifteen minutes... Not too long._

“Here, just...” You trailed off, watching Elliot move as you went to unlock the door. Once you got it unlocked you push it open and walked inside, leaving Elliot there, a few feet from Rick. “Just come inside and set Ashmore down.” 

Elliot watched you set down the groceries and begin putting them away, you front door hanging open. Rick stood beside Elliot and gently nudged his shoulder. “Just set the cat down, man, it's not a big deal.”

He took the tall man's advice and moved forward, stepping into your apartment to set Ashmore down. The cat, happy to be let go of, hissed at Elliot once before scampering off to likely go hide in your closet and mess things up in there. 

“Would you like anything to drink?” You questioned, watching him glance at the picture on your table just beside the door. 

Elliot shook his head as he looked at the picture. You were with someone, a guy that you were very obviously close to. He could tell by the fact that you had your arm around him and he had his arm around you and the two of you were kissing. You glanced at the picture then at him. He had a strange look in his eye, something remotely related to: “Who the hell is that person with you and why are you kissing?”

“That's my boyfriend.” You filled in, watching him nod. Ashmore came up behind you and gently raised herself onto her back paws, pushing her body upwards to plant her paws firmly against your leg and stretch as you reached around you back to gently rub her head. “His name is Kyle, by the way.”

 _Looks like a jerk... Kind of like Ollie._

“Kyle.” Elliot repeated, looking at the man. Of course he could only see a portion of his face, you were blocking it with yours. “Kyle...?”

“Kyle Shaw. Know anything about him? Or, have you ever heard of him?” You asked with furrowed brows, genuinely wanting an answer. Elliot shook his head.

 _No, but the second I get back to my computers, I will know everything there is to know about Kyle._

“Never heard of anyone named Kyle Shaw.” Elliot replied, looking at the picture for another moment before looking up at you. You were watching him with interest as Ashmore twisted herself around your feet. 

“Good.” You sighed softly, putting some celery into the fridge as you avoided tripping over your beloved cat. It was Elliot's turn to furrow his eyebrows.

“Good?” He asked, the draft from the hallway getting in through the open door. 

You nodded slightly. “He's not a bad person, honestly. But he was accused of some pretty gnarly stuff when he was younger... I just want him to fly under the radar as much as possible.” 

“Are you protecting him from something?” Elliot asked, watching you curiously. You shook your head. 

“No, uh... I'm not.” You paused, looking down. “He was accused of stealing millions of dollars from his grandfather.”

“Okay?” Elliot said, still confused. 

“His grandfather had this vineyard and wine factory type thing and it made _a lot_ of money. But the factory was destroyed in a fire, and a portion of the vineyard was destroyed when the fire carried over.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

You shrugged. “Haven't really told anybody this... Ever.” You looked at him for a second before looking down at your cat. “Anyway, the fire was supposedly man-made and when his grandfather went to collect the insurance, he was shot.”

Elliot's furrowed eyebrows shot up as interest flooded him. 

“Kyle was the only living relative the old dude trusted, y'know, the only person he'd ever leave his money and estate to.”

The brunette man nodded as he prevented Ashmore from going out the door. 

“Shit, this sounds really far-fetched.” You muttered, shaking your head slightly. “Uh, so the cops suspected him but they eventually figured out he didn't do it.”

“Why didn't he leave the money to any other family?”

“Gold diggers.” You replied easily. “Kyle was the only one he trusted to run the business, the only one he trusted to handle the money, the _only one_ he trusted to do anything involving his company... Kyle was the only living relative he trusted with his life.”

Elliot was about to reply when his phone went off. It was Angela. He groaned, looked up at you and watched you smile slightly.

“Go on, I'm sure it's important.” You told him, watching him smile briefly as he walked out. “Hey, thanks for bringing back Ashmore and... Y'know, listening.” You smiled a bit more, watching Elliot nod and answer his phone, closing your door behind him just before you heard quick steps then those steps thundering down the stairs. 

“Why the fuck did I just tell him all of that?” You asked your cat, staring down at the animal. She looked up at you and meowed in response, causing you to nod and sigh. “That's it, that's exactly why I told him. _Meow._ You've solved my problems, Ash.” You told your cat sarcastically. The cat seemed to grumble in response, purposely trying to trip you a moment later to clarify her annoyance.

“Hey, Ash?” You asked the cat as you began toward your bedroom, the animal following suit. She looked at you, not at all apologetic about trying to trip you, but she looked curious as you spoke. “Promise me that if you start talking, the first thing you'll do is start singing 'What a Wonderful World'?”

The cat meowed in response, rubbing herself against your ankles. 

“Good girl.” You grinned, finding it normal to talk to your cat. You wondered why Elliot had to rush out so quickly, then again you _let_ him. Not that he couldn't go freely, but he seemed to ask permission with his eyes. You sighed, an odd feeling in your chest. 

Maybe your platonic feelings for your mere acquaintance from downstairs weren't platonic at all. You huffed, reaching for your phone to call Kyle. You had control.... _Total control._


	2. Ashmore, The Helpful Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You really need to close your window. Ashmore sure knows how to help Elliot in times of need. Kyle needs to put a sock in it, so does your neighbour, granted, it was one o'clock in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There's mention of an anxiety attack in this, no details though. Just that my sweet, precious cinnamon roll Elliot was crying before Ashmore popped into his window.

“Ashmore!” You shouted, looking for your pepper colored cat. You let out a groan as you saw her, but then you froze as she sat by the window. “Don't you dare.” You warned, slowly bringing your right hand up to point at her. 

She stopped sitting and stretched, inching closer to the window. “Ash, I swear to God,” You began, stepping slowly towards her as she sniffed the window. You were close enough to grab her and reached out to do so, but she slipped from your fingers and pushed herself through the opening in the window. 

“Damn it!” You shouted, dragging out a long groan. You sighed and pushed the window open, muttering to yourself as you did. “I should just close the damn window.” You climbed onto the fire escape and saw Ashmore slipping into Elliot's apartment. You were cursing yourself as you watched. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning, and you let out a grumble, shaking your head as you climbed back into your window.

You carefully stepped over boyfriend's shoes as you walked to the door, glancing at Kyle laying in your bed. He could sleep, oh yes, by all means. But you couldn't. You were currently slammed with work, considering you do online stuff and prefer not to leave your apartment to do any job of any sort. It's not that you didn't like outside work, but it's too tedious sometimes. 

You opened the door slowly, cringing as it creaked and stepped outside, Kyle's shirt hanging loosely around your frame as you had pajama shorts beneath them and were cursing yourself for living in a bad neighborhood the entire time you spent stepping down the stairs. You eventually reached Elliot's door and took a deep breath, knocking gently as to not wake the other neighbors. You were surprised when the door opened and Elliot was standing there in a t-shirt and worn out looking sweatpants.

“I'm sorry to bother you, but – I...” You began, but trailed off when he turned around and half of him disappeared behind the door before reappearing with your cat tossing and turning in his hands. “Thank you.” You blushed, looking down.

Elliot was about to let you leave, the tired look in his eyes and the slight puffiness and redness made you think he'd been crying. You wanted to reassure him of whatever you could, but you didn't have that kind of relationship. “Why did Rick ask if I was your boyfriend?”

“Did he?” You asked with furrowed eyebrows, tilting your head as you finally took your cat from him, repositioning her to hold her like a baby against your chest. “Well, he's never met Kyle... He's barely seen pictures of him.”

Elliot questioned this statement further, probably because it was one o'clock in the morning and he had nothing better to do. “Why is that?”

You shrugged easily. “Never really got around to introducing them.” You sighed, looking at you cat before waving shortly to Elliot. “Sorry, if I woke you, thanks for getting Ashmore.”

“No problem.” He muttered the next part, almost ashamed in a way. “I was already awake.”

“Well, I'm going back upstairs.” You told him, watching him nod. You walked up the stairs and he didn't close his door til he heard yours open, then shut and heard your footsteps overhead. He sighed to himself and closed his door, shaking his head before retreating back to his bed. His cigarette was sitting in the ash tray, smoke swirling from the lit end before he picked it up, flicked the extra ash off and took a drag, releasing the smoke after a few seconds of holding it in.

He heard a muffled groan from overhead, and froze. He heard your voice, although it was muffled he still heard it. But then he heard an unfamiliar one. He tried to listen, or not, rather. You and the secondary voice (of course Elliot didn't know it was Kyle) were in your apartment talking and eventually talked loud enough for a neighbour to shout.

“Hey, shut up!” Elliot heard, but so did you and Kyle. “Or I'll call the cops for a public disturbance!” 

Then the harsh reply, something you surely weren't capable of doing at this hour. “Fuck off, dude.”

Elliot's eyebrows went up as he stared at his ceiling, taking another drag of his cigarette, the hot smoke burning his throat and lungs before he released it. He heard a calm voice, your voice and then the secondary voice stopped talking, probably from being talked down by you. He sighed once more and put out his cigarette, grinding it further into ash before crawling into his bed. 

“Shit.” He whispered, letting out a low groan as he stared up at the ceiling again. He could see where the paint was clearly peeling, making a map of it in his head. _I'll have to touch that up later._ He thought, sometime during the night he closed his eyes, falling into a gentle sleep. When he talked to you or even heard you, it seemed to help. 

He had an anxiety attack before Ashmore slithered into his window. She ran straight for him, nuzzling against his arm. He barely identified the cat before she did this, and immediately thought of you. You'd have to come down an get her, or he'd have to come up and return her. He was barely waiting a minute before you showed up, during this time he lit a cigarette and then heard your knock.

He was a bit puzzled, honestly, when Ashmore came into his apartment. She only seemed to do that when something bad was happening or the two hadn't seen each other in a while. It was like she knew exactly what to do. 

_Too smart for her own good._ Elliot's unconscious mind thought as he slept. He had a strange dream that night. He dreamed a bunch of tiny, meowing Ashmores had wandered into his apartment and you had to come down for each one. It was like the dusty cat knew how to get you two to strike up a conversation, even seven minutes past one a.m., she knew. 

It had been that way since you moved in.


	3. The Cake Is Not A Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You bring Rick and Elliot some cake. You find Elliot high and crying, but only after Ashmore leads you to him. You sing, he sleeps. Life is shit, but at least he has someone to cry on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Elliot has a panic attack in this chapter, and there is also mention of drugs and their usage.

You were sitting in your apartment, staring at the chocolate cake you'd just made. Ashmore was on the chair beside yours, nuzzling your arm and trying to get your attention.

“Why did I make this?” You asked yourself, staring at the giant cake. Kyle, of course, came over to you and kissed the top of your head. There was a towel loosely hanging around his waist as beads of water rolled off his body and, upon making contact with the worn out fabric, were soaked up. 

“Why not?” Kyle replied, letting it hang in the air. “Cake is good.”

“But it's just me and you eating it.” You shrugged, then you got an idea. “Hang on.” You muttered, standing up to get out two plates. You got a large knife and cut a decent sized slice before setting it on one of the plates. You then stared at it, a good portion of the cake still there. You glanced over your shoulder to see Kyle pulling out a glass and you quickly cut about a third of the remaining cake and set it on the plate. It would probably yield about three pieces. You covered each piece with plastic wrap before taking one in each hand. 

“I'll be right back!” You called out to Kyle, balancing the cake to open your door and close it behind you. You walked a few feet and knocked on Rick's door with your foot. It only took a couple of seconds before he answered. 

“Hey, there, (Y/N). What's up – Oh!” He said in surprise as you handed him the smaller piece of cake. He barely glanced at the larger one. “Thanks.” Rick smiled, nodding to you a bit before you told him to have a nice day and then took off down the stairs. You smiled to yourself when you reached your destination.

You knocked on Elliot's door with your now free hand and waited. You knocked again, waited a minute, knocked again then called out. “Elliot?” You said loudly, shifting slightly before knocking again.

“What?” You got a reply from behind you and you screamed, holding your chest with your free hand. 

“Shit!” You gasped, seeing Elliot wide eyed and a bit startled. “Oh, God – I didn't mean to scream, sorry...” Before you could get out any more words, there were thundering steps down the stairs and Kyle appeared as he tugged on his shirt, his muscles moving as he did. 

“I heard you scream.” He said as he straightened out the fabric, pointing at you. His eyes scanned over Elliot. “You okay?” Kyle asked you, waiting for a reply.

“I'm fine, I just came down to see him and give him this cake,” You paused to hold up the food. “And he accidentally scared me. That's all.” 

Kyle eyed Elliot, and Elliot stared at him. Elliot noticed that Kyle was also tall, not quite as tall as Rick but he was probably about six foot two. You cleared your throat to break the tension that shouldn't have existed and the two turned their eyes to look at you. You stared at Kyle and he sighed.

“I'm Kyle.” He told Elliot, reaching out his hand for Elliot to shake. Elliot only flinched and stepped back a little, at this you grabbed Kyle's wrist and held his arm still. 

“He doesn't like touching.” You said, walking closer to Kyle to whisper it to him. Kyle rolled his eyes and shook your hand from his arm. 

“Elliot.” Your shorter neighbor said quietly, watching Kyle nod.

“Well, if you're okay, I'm going back upstairs.” Kyle stated, leaning down to kiss your lips. You could've sworn he looked at Elliot when he did that, in a sort of “back-off” manor. He pulled away before jogging up the stairs. The two of you, Elliot and yourself, heard your door open then close. 

“I brought you cake.” You told him, just now noticing his dog at his feet. “Hey, Flipper.” You grinned, waving to her. Elliot smiled weakly before stepping towards his door, unlocking it before pushing it open. Flipper followed close behind, and Elliot waved for you to come in. 

“Only if you want.” He said tiredly, his voice a little worn out. You nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind you. As if on cue, you both heard a “God damn it!” and then Ashmore scampered down the fire escape steps before pressing herself to the window, mewling softly. Elliot sighed and made his way over to the glass and wood, sliding it up to allow Ashmore to slide in.

She nuzzled his knee before jumping off the edge, padding over to Flipper. Elliot quickly walked back to the two and removed Flipper's leash, waiting for Ashmore to start grooming the dog. You set the large piece of cake onto his table as he went to open a cabinet.

“You want some?” He asked you, pointing to the chocolate dessert. You shook your head, pointing straight up.

“I've got more upstairs, but don't feel like you can't eat any just because I don't wanna.” You said, watching him nod slightly as he dejectedly closed the cabinet he had opened a little bit, taking off his hoodie instead. 

Elliot watched as Ashmore licked Flipper's head, grooming the dog and pushing her over to get her stomach before she started kneading it. 

“So, that was Kyle.” You said, watching Elliot make a small face before he frowned.

“He's uh...” Elliot began before trailing off, not knowing what to say.

“Kyle. He's Kyle.” You laughed gently, getting another nod from your neighbor. “Hey, so, I'm gonna go.” You said, pointing with your thumb to the door. Elliot nodded again, something he'd done a lot in the past couple of minutes. You bent down, picked up Ashmore and petted Flipper quickly. 

“Bye.” Elliot said quietly, watching you open his door.

“Bye.” You repeated, shutting it behind you. You slowly walked up the steps, making your way back to your apartment. Was you were in, you sighed and then saw Kyle cutting two slices of cakes. 

“So, who's that Elliot guy, anyway?” Kyle asked, a smudge of chocolate falling onto his finger before he licked it off, setting the knife back down. 

“A friend.” You replied, seeing him nod. You felt bold when you spoke after that. “Are you jealous or something? You're doing that shoulder thing.”

“What shoulder thing?”

“Like, you make them look broader. You stand taller. You use to do that to Rick before you found out he was gay.” You told him, taking your slice and the fork he presented you with. This statement caused him to laugh and shake his head. Ashmore once more slipped out the window, but she had some sort of intent in her eyes and walk. Her ears were bent back slightly and she began whipping her tail around as she walked carefully. 

“No, I'm not jealous.” Kyle replied, glancing at the cat making her way down the fire escape before looking over your unconcerned features. “I'm only jealous of those that pose a genuine threat.” He glanced back at the window to see Ashmore gone. “Are you not going to go get her?”

“Nah, Elliot returns her or I wait a bit. She comes back, usually, if Elliot doesn't return her.”

“When does he not return her?”

“Almost never.” You replied easily, eating your cake. _Genuine threat? Is that the army brat in you talking?_ Little did he know, Elliot did pose a threat. 

By the time Kyle had left, you slowly realized that Ashmore hadn't been returned yet. As you were about to stand, Ashmore crawled through the window. She was meowing and ran over to you. You stood up and were about to grab her when she ran back to the window, sliding through. You ran to your door, swinging it open before walking out of it, shutting it quickly behind you.

You thundered down the stairs, going straight for Elliot's door where you began knocking on it. Slowly at first, then faster before you were furiously pounding on it. You got no reply and reached down, grabbing the handle. Much to your surprise, when you turned it, it was unlocked. You pushed open the door and saw Flipper, she was whining near the bed. Ashmore's tail was peeking out from behind it and you closed the door behind you, walking to where they were.

“Elliot?” You said, pressing your hand down on the messed up mattress, catching yourself to make sure you didn't fall as you crouched down. He was in the _very_ small space between his dresser and mattress, breathing heavily. “Oh my God, Elliot...” You muttered, his eyes red, glossed over and spacey. 

His face had tear stains on it. You hadn't known that he was having a panic attack down in his apartment while you were upstairs. He seemed fine when you gave him the cake. He looked a bit tired and sounded tired, when he spoke, but otherwise he seemed okay. 

You reached out and gently rested your hand on his shoulder, moving to kneel beside him as Ashmore prodded him with her paw. He didn't flinch when you touched him, but his eyes did move to look at you.

“(Y/N)?” Elliot asked, his voice weak. You slowly, and carefully, pulled him up, leaning him against his mattress. 

“Ashmore doesn't usually come back on her own...” You told him, wrapping your arm around his shoulders as he sighed shakily. As you touched him, you felt he was shaking, he shivered a little, too. You shifted slightly to wrap your arm around his back and used the other to gently smooth over his messy hair before relaxing it on the back of his head. He leaned against you, dropping his head to cry against your shoulder. You knew the look in his eyes, the glossiness, the redness, the spaciness. You hoped you were wrong, but the last time you saw someone with eyes like that, it was Kyle after his grandfather died. 

He'd gotten high. Kyle had gotten drugged up on many things, it hit him hard. Grief, yes. Maybe guilt, you didn't know why it struck you as that at the time. But it had.

As you held Elliot, his body trembled with each silent sob, his skin cold and his tears coming quickly. You don't know how long you held him, but you didn't know what to do. You rubbed circles against his back, your hand repeatedly smoothed through his hair. You spoke silent words, you eventually sang to him. You don't know if it was comforting, but he seemed to still when you did this, only slightly but you hoped it did something.

You were singing slow, softy and the words flowed gently over him. When he shifted, you were at the fifth verse in the song, the one that seemed to comfort him more. He still cried, still breathed heavily, but he wasn't hyperventilating anymore. 

“ _So, let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin... You're waiting for someone to perform with and don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do._ ” You paused, taking a breath as you sang. “ _The movement you need is on your shoulder._ ” You stopped rubbing circles on his back and held him, you didn't move and he didn't move. What was so comforting about a circle to people? Why is that the shape people use to comfort? 

By the time he'd fallen asleep against you, it was morning, The sun was coming over the edge of the skyline and you glanced to Flipper and Ashmore to see the two lying side-by-side on Elliot's mattress, their heads on their front paws as they stared at you two. 

You looked down at Elliot and licked your lips, shifting to allow him to lay flat on the ground. His breathing was steady, his skin was warmer, too. You stood and swiped a pillow off his bed, carefully tucking it beneath his head. You picked up Ashmore and made your way from his apartment, as quietly as you could, that is. You cradled her against your chest, holding her as she didn't wriggle, hiss or scratch. She meowed gently when you made it to your apartment, setting her down when you were inside.

You collapsed onto your bed, sleeping for what hours you could before work. You had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time you'd have to help him. Need to help him... _Want_ to help him. You were okay with that.


	4. Don't Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Elliot chat in the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is slight mention of abuse, being high and a panic attack. Also, this is short, sorry.

You were walking downstairs after a busy day of Netflix and chill. You had your keys in hand and your bag in the other, slinging it haphazardly over your shoulder. You were hoping to get some stray luck and avoid Elliot, because that meant avoiding an awkward conversation, but you never really had any luck in your life.

You walked right into him, in fact.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, stumbling back as you did the same. He looked up quickly and saw it was you. His eyes brightened immediately. 

“It's my fault.” You replied easily, smiling weakly at him. Elliot returned it, walking to his door. “So, did you just get back from work?”

“Yeah.” Elliot said, fishing his keys out of his pocket. He glanced at you before turning back to his task. “Where are you going?”

“The store.” You said, watching him stick the proper key into the lock. “I have to go get some cat food and cat liter for Ashmore, and some other stuff.” 

He nodded slightly, and you spoke before he could. “Do you need anything, from the store, I mean?” Elliot turned to look at you.

“Some dog food.” He said, beginning to pull his wallet before you stepped closer to him and stilled his hand, his hand cold under your touch.

“I've got it. Any particular brand?” You asked gently, watching him shrug and shake his head.

“No.” 

You smiled again, a bit larger this time and nodded. You removed your hand from his and turned around, going for the door when Elliot spoke. 

“About last night-”

“Don't worry about it.” You told him and he let out a frustrated sigh. 

“I wanted to thank you.” He said honestly, causing you to turn back around. “You didn't have to stay, but you did, you helped me, not many people would.”

You felt your heart skip a beat. _No one would help him like I did? That sucks._ You thought. 

“It's not a big deal.” You said, unintentionally dismissing him.

“It is to me.” Elliot replied. You watched him frown slightly and sighed. 

“Do you wanna come with me to the store?” You asked. “Just to make sure you're okay.”

“To babysit me, you mean?”

You snorted a laugh, shaking your head. “No, to talk to you and check up on you.”

“Sounds like babysitting to me.” He mumbled before sighing. “Let me just feed Qwerty and Flipper.” Elliot said, pushing his door open. You nodded and waited in the hall for a couple minutes before Elliot came back out. He was adjusting his hoodie and the work shirt he'd been wearing beneath it was replaced by a dark blue t-shirt. 

You two got a cab to the store, not talking most of the way. You, instead, would glance at Elliot. The side of his face looked awful pretty from where you were sitting, you found every line and little sign of aging or lack of sleep and would smile a bit when you did.

You paid the driver for the ride and Elliot didn't protest much. You walked inside the store and got a cart, walking with him beside you. 

“So, does that sort of thing happen often with you?” You asked Elliot as you began browsing the bread aisle. 

“Kind of.” He admitted, bringing a hand up to awkwardly rub the back of his neck. “I try to control it.”

You nodded slightly, taking loaf of white bread off the shelf before chucking it into your cart.

“Were you high?” You whispered, looking at him as a concern washed over your face.

“It helps.” Elliot said, a slight hint of shame in his voice. He shrugged and sighed softly. “I balance it out though.”

“Oh, good.” You muttered, shaking your head. 

“How'd you know?”

“Kyle use to get high after his grandfather died.” You stated, pushing the cart into the snack aisle as Elliot walked, hands in his pockets with his hood down. “He'd mellow out when he was high, but sometimes he got angry.”

The expression on Elliot's face changed, and he immediately thought the worst. “Did he ever hit you?” He questioned, stepping closer to you. You glanced over your shoulder, met his eyes then looked down, turning your head to look straight ahead. 

“(Y/N)...” Elliot began, looking at you. “Did he?”

“Don't.” You nearly snapped before pinching the bridge of your nose, stopping the cart to turn and look at him fully. “Once.” 

“Why did he do it?”

“I don't know. But he apologized a lot. I knew he didn't mean it.” 

“Knew?”

You couldn't bring yourself to correct him. “Yeah, _knew_.”

Elliot sighed as you turned around continuing to push the cart before making it to the pet aisle. “We'll just get what we came for then go home, alright?” You said, watching him nod.

“Alright.” He muttered.

He now had a reason to dislike Kyle even more.


	5. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have Elliot and Rock over for dinner, and their dogs. Kyle is impatient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm genuinely sorry for how long this took me to upload! It's late in the day, I know. It's 10:14 PM currently, and I'm posting this from my phone. Also, I wrote this on my phone and as I (just) said I'm posting it from my phone, as well. I'm sorry for any errors and I hope you enjoy!

You had handed Kyle a stack of plates when he counted them, furrowing his eyebrows.

"There's two extra."

"No," You began, not glancing over your shoulder as you finished chopping some onion. "I invited Rick and Elliot over."

"Oh." Kyle muttered, going to the dining table to set down the plates with the silverware on them. "Right. Thanks for telling me."

"Rick is bringing his dog over and so is Elliot." 

"Great." Kyle rolled his eyes. Sure, he liked dogs, he had one himself, but he didn't like the people nor was he about to like their pets. 

"It's one night." You said, dismissing any of his annoyed feelings. "I just want to catch up with them, alright? It's my apartment, my plates, my silverware, my food. _My_ friends." You added, your voice rising as you did. It came to a sharp and emphasized end.

Kyle didn't say anything after that.

By the time you had prepared dinner and set out bowls of water for the extra animal inhabitants to arrive, the doorbell rang. You clapped excitedly, rushing over to it before swinging it open. Rick was standing there with his dog, Mortemer, or Morty for short. Yeah, that's right. _Rick and Morty._ He's a big fan of the show.

You reached your hand out to roughly rub the dog's head, smiling when he began to close his eyes and lean into it. Incase you're wondering, Morty is a Great Dane. They're quite large dogs, that you know well. Rick got Morty around the time you moved in.

He was a small puppy at the time, only capable of fitting into Rick's hand. Then he grew and grew and grew, and now he's ginormous. Now, he's a dog fit to march at Rick's side. From what you've seen, the dog never missed a beat.

"Come in, come in!" You ordered, taking your hand off the dog and using the other to wave him in. You leaned up and kissed Rick's cheek. "How did things go with Sam?"

"He ditched me." Rick said honestly, shrugging slightly. You frowned. "But Jerrick was there, so we had dinner instead. His date apparently dumped him, too."

"Bummer." You muttered, shaking your head as you closed your door. 

"Not really." Rick grinned, taking the time to lean down and pat Morty's head. "I got his number and we're going on another date next week!"

You squealed in delight as the much taller man grinned widely. Once you calmed down you sighed slightly. "Jerrick is a weird name."

"He usually goes by Rick, himself, but he wants me to call him Jerry." Rick replied, looking at you with happy eyes.

You were about to speak when the door was knocked upon. 

"Is that Elliot?" Rick questioned, glancing at Kyle to see him with crossed arm in the corner.

"Should be." You replied, going to the door. You opened it, but Elliot wasn't standing there. You glanced over and saw Sam, Rick's no-show date, at Rick's door. The knocks carried over. You were about to slam the door shut when he caught sight of you.

"(Y/N)!" He shouted, walking a few feet to reach your door. "Have you seen Rick?"

These words only took a second for Rick to register and he darted behind the wall which consistently was blocked by the door. Morty went with him, obediently staying still beside him.

"He's at his friend's place." That wasn't a lie. "Sorry."

Sam sighed, nodding slightly. "It's fine, whatever, it's fine." He muttered, shaking his head before walking away and down the stairs. You watched him leave before closing the door.

"Is the coast clear?" Rick asked, Kyle nodded.

"As clear as it'll ever be." He stated, waving his hand around for some reason. You frowned at this answer and walked to the oven, turning it on to keep the food inside warm. 

Fifteen minutes later and Elliot still hadn't shown up. You were worried, Rick was telling you he'd show in no time and Kyle was grumbling.

"We should eat!" He complained, a whine in his voice.

"We're waiting." You snapped, watching him. "Now, be quiet."

Rick didn't say anything to Kyle after that, and Kyle rolled his eyes.

"All I'm saying is that if he doesn't show, I'm getting my chicken and eating."

"Just hold your damn horses, okay? You're late too, sometimes." You countered, shaking your head. Kyle sighed and looked at his empty plate. A knock sounded on the door and you cued Kyle to pull the chick out of the oven along with the potatoes and Rick moved to pull Ashmore off of Elliot's seat.

You made it across your apartment and opened the door, smiling when you saw Elliot, despite the hood shielding his features.

"Hey, you made it!" You grinned, waving him inside.

"Sorry." He mumbled, walking inside as Flipper walked behind him. He let her off her leash before she scampered over to Morty, sniffing his legs as Morty let her. 

"Here you go." You said, pulling out Elliot's chair slightly as he took off his hood. Kyle practically flew to his seat after setting down the chicken.

"Looks tasty." Elliot told you as he sat down, smiling weakly. You thanked him and walked to your seat where Ashmore had taken up residence. 

"Move!" You ordered of her as she jumped off your seat, going to nudge against Elliot's leg. Rick sat down, too. You only stood momentarily to get beer for Rick, yourself and Elliot, before sitting back down. "Who's ready to dig in?"

_Everyone._


	6. Blank Mind (Sort Of)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of dinner and a little bit of "against the door" sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's sexual stuff in here, sadly, it isn't between you and Elliot. (Not yet, anyway.) Excuse any errors, please. I'm currently coming down with some sort of sickness (get down with the sickness) and I'm sort of supposed to be doing schoolwork. This was written really fast.

“So, how's work?” You asked Rick as you cut into your piece of chicken, forking a slice before placing it in your mouth. You pulled it from the fork with your teeth and tongue and quickly closed your mouth as you chewed.

“Good.” Rick replied, nodding slightly as he worked a potato under his knife. “The shelter's doing good... We got a dog last week with only three legs.”

“Aw.” You said, slightly sadden by the news. It caught Elliot's attention and Kyle rolled his eyes slightly. “What happened to the dog?”

“We're not sure yet. She's healthy but we're working on getting her rehabilitated through therapy.” Rick paused for a second as he put the potato in his mouth, chewing it then swallowing it. “She's a pitbull.”

“What's her name?” Elliot asked, surprising the table. 

“Oh, uh, Lilac.” Rick replied. “She's got gray but kind of purple colored fur.” He smiled slightly as he set down his silverware to grasp his beer bottle, bringing it up to his lips. “Lilac is quite the dog...” Rick took a sip of beer and set the bottle down as Elliot nodded.

“Would it be possible to meet her?” You were cutting another slice of chicken as you asked this, waiting to be turned down. Much to your surprise (and happiness) Rick grinned and nodded.

“Yeah, on visitor's day you can come around and meet her, meet all the dogs, really. And the cats.”

You sent a glance at Elliot to see him looking down, trying to fight a smile. “I'd love that!”

“Elliot could come to.” Rick offered, raising his eyebrows slightly. Kyle looked up from his food to stare at Elliot.

“(Y/N) likes looking at animals alo-”

“Elliot, could you?” You asked him, your tone soft. “When is the next visitor's day?” You directed this at Rick.

“This Friday. Open to close – it's 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.” He told you, forking some green beans. Had you glanced at Kyle, you would've seen the annoyed look on his face. “You'd get to take them out of their pens and pet them.”

“Doesn't that sound like fun?” You said, your voice urging Elliot to come with. Your face broke out with a grin as Elliot nodded.

“Yeah, it does.” He said, looking up at you. “Yeah.” Elliot repeated a bit quieter.

“Oh, this is gonna be great!” Rick clapped his hands excitedly. “They're gonna love you two!”

“Could I go?” Kyle questioned. This caused Rick to frown as did Elliot.

“Baby, you've got a meeting that day, remember?” You reminded. “You've got to go out of state for it.”

“Oh.” Kyle muttered, squinting slightly as he remembered. “Yeah, right... Thanks for reminding me.”

You leaned over to him and patted his hand, smiling weakly at him. “No problemo.” He gave you a forced smile, one you knew well, and pulled his hand from under yours, going back to eating. 

 

“I'll meet you downstairs at eight o'clock sharp, is that okay?” You watched Elliot nod as he began to leave your apartment. Rick had already taken Morty back to his place, only after saying good-bye. Elliot clipped Flipper's leash to her collar and spoke.

“Can we get coffee on the way there?'

“No, yeah, totally.” You felt Kyle step close to you and wrap his arms around your waist as he rested his chin on your shoulder. “See you then.”

Elliot nodded once more and left, Flipper walking in front of him only to turn back slightly and yap at Kyle. Elliot glanced back at you two and watched you close the door, Flipper stopped barking once you did. You turned in Kyle's arms as he pressed you to the door, moving his hand to lock it. 

“Something wrong?” You asked Kyle as he leaned down to kiss your neck, pressing you further against the door as the welcomed sensation coursed through your body.

“Nope.” He mumbled against your neck, his large hands moving to grip your legs. He pulled them up as you jumped, catching you while you wrapped your legs around his waist. “Nothing's wrong.”

“Mhm.” You muttered, rolling your eyes slightly as he nipped your neck, grinding his hips against yours at the same time to make you moan. Kyle smirked at the sound, biting, sucking and licking your skin to make a hickey at the base of your neck, just over the juncture where it met your collarbones. It took only a couple minutes for your jeans, underwear and shoes to be off and in a pile with Kyle's shirt. You moved one hand to unbuckle his belt, pulling the leather through the metal buckle quickly, popping the buttons beneath before pulling down the zipper.

You pushed your hand into his briefs and pumped his shaft, a low moan struggling from his throat. “Fuck.” He muttered as you brought your lips to his, kissing and nipping the chapped surface. 

Something was wrong with this, though. Since you'd been hanging out or even just talking to Elliot, Kyle had been more handsy. He wanted to have sex more, not that you minded, and he was leaving hickeys in easy to see places. You knew this, he was jealous. You couldn't grasp why though, you were too busy gripping his shoulders as he thrusted into you, a moan leaving your lips. 

You tilted your head against the door as he pulled out and thrusted again, slamming your entire back against the door. You moaned his name, pushing one of your hands through his hair as the other continued to grip his shoulder.

You were lost in pleasure, and some thought, as Kyle fucked you against the door. Your mind wandered to Elliot, somehow (you knew how), even as Kyle caused your eyes to roll back and your mind to go slightly blank, you thought of Elliot.

 

_Man, I need to get my priorities straight._


	7. Visitor's Hours [Part One]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Elliot go to the shelter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been very slow with updating, I'm sorry. I was going to update like, four days ago but then I got sick and I have a sore throat, my muscles ache and I actually came down with a fever, now I have a killer headache. This is part one, there are three parts to this chapter. It's not dramatic, it just is going there, dogs then cats. Pretty simple.

"There are a lot of animals here, Elliot." You warned, pointing a finger at him. "Try not walking home with any."

He nodded slightly, though his eyes were already lighting up at the dogs he saw wandering around the office. There were cats on cat towers in the windows, sleeping, playing, eating. Being cats. 

"Back at you." Elliot replied, getting you to roll your eyes mockingly and smile.

"I promise absolutely _nothing._ " You told him, earning a slight grin from him. When you two got in, though, the dogs pooled around his feet. They licked his shoes and jumped at his legs, trying to climb him.

"Hello." The woman behind the desk smiled politely, standing up to greet you and Elliot. "They like you." She observed. Elliot didn't meet her eyes, instead he began petting the dogs.   
"Hi, I'm (Y/N). Is Rick here?" You questioned, watching her. 

“Yeah, he's in the back with our new addition.” She smiled a bit wider. “I'm Wendy. Can I sign you in?” Wendy asked, watching you now more than Elliot. “Seeing as it's visitor's day, it helps to make sure people are accounted for.”

“Yeah, I've been here a few times.” You told her. She frowned slightly, but quickly returned to her red-lipped smile. You leaned forward and bent down a bit, using the clipboard and pen on the desk to write your first and last name. You glanced back at Elliot and signed him in, standing up afterwards. “So, can we go back?”

“Yeah, go ahead. Is Rick going to be leading you around?” 

You nodded quickly. “Yeah.”

“I'll lead you back, then.” Wendy stated, walking around her desk. You pulled Elliot from the dogs, carefully wrapping your hand around his wrist to tug on it gently. He didn't flinch as you did this, he just looked up at you. You dropped your hand and smiled gently, turning to follow Wendy as Elliot moved the dogs from his legs to follow you.

When you got to the back, where you had to walk through a door marked “Grooming & Care” you saw Rick brushing Lilac, the three-legged down he'd told you about. She barked as the three of you stepped in. 

“These two said you're leading them around today.” Wendy said, gesturing to you. She walked out and left you two to stand and watch Rick. 

He was sitting in a chair and his ribs were level with the table he had Lilac on. She was laying down, her front paws folded over each other and her back leg was laying flat as she lazily stared at you and Elliot. 

“This is Lilac.” Rick stated, finishing brushing her. “She's very chill.”

“Can I pet her?” You asked him. He nodded and waved you closer, setting the brush down behind himself before standing, towering over both you and Elliot. Rick ran a hand through his neon hair and watched you gently move your hand over Lilac's shoulder, smoothing it over her back as you used your nails to scratch slightly.

You looked at her as you did this, her eyes closing slightly from the feeling. Elliot followed suit, petting her head an scratching her chin at the same time. 

“We've already got a family lined up.” Rick stated, watching you two pet Lilac. “They called in, we're officially meeting them today.” You three stood there and petted her for some time before Rick picked her up beneath her back leg and then under chest. He walked forward, you two following after as Rick pushed the door open with his foot.

He pushed open another swinging door marked “Back Kennels” and went to the large open one. You and Elliot saw inside the kennel, seeing the black bed on te bottom with a large gray blanket on it. 

“Can you pick up the blanket?” He asked, specifically towards Elliot. The short male nodded and did as asked, tugging the blanket off the bed. Rick laid her inside, adjusting her leg beneath her body to make sure she wasn't hurting herself. He took the blanket from Elliot and folded it in half, pushing it into the kennel to lay it over Lilac, tucking her in. “There you go, sweet girl.” He grinned at the dog. 

“Does she get cold?”

“Yeah, really cold.” Rick replied, closing the kennel door before he locked it. “She likes how the blanket feels, too.”

You nodded as Elliot stared at her, Rick moving around you two. He walked out and you two, once more, followed suit.

“Let's go meet the other dogs, shall we?”


	8. Visitor's Hours [Part Two]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dog days are pretty cool, homie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, it took me way to long to update. I'm sorry! I've been sick (on and off, which sucks) and I've been having to catch up on schoolwork, shit is breaking around the house and it's holiday time. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, or, Merry whatever you celebrate!! I'll be catching up on updates throughout January, but New Year'sis a no-go. I'm marathoning LoTR and The Hobbit with my sister. Anyway, this is a really long note. Also, for all those who waited, thank you so much for you patience!! There's like one mistake in here, I saw it earlier but I can't find it on mobile. I'll correct when I'm done playing "Where's Waldo" with my SINGULAR typo. (typos piss me off.)

"Keep your hands at your sides and if you pet the dogs, do not, under any circumstances, put your hand above their head. They hate that. It makes them feel small." Rick stated, pushing open the door to the kennels as the dogs behind the door started barking madly. 

You jumped slightly at the sound, instinctively moving closer to Elliot. You blushed slightly at the move and focused on the dogs around you. 

They ranged from extra small to extra large, the biggest one was drooling and lazily staring at Rick. The smallest one, however, was yapping excitedly at the three people intruding in its domain. 

"Calm down." Rick muttered. He turned around to face you and Elliot. "Who do you want to meet first?"

Elliot's eyes scanned over all the dogs and he locked eyes with one. A small dog, similar to Flipper, was staring at him. Silently, too. The dog shared the same pen as the largest dog. Elliot looked at Rick then walked over to them.

"The little one in here."

"Guess I'll take the big one." You added as you stepped closer to them.

"Ah, Daphne and Rocco." Rick grinned slightly. "When we got them, we tried separating them but Daphne wouldn't budge. We decided to put them together."

"Which ones which?" You questioned, eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Oh, Daphne's the little one. Rocco's my big hefty boy here." He informed as he unlocked the pen, allowing the small dog to quickly scamper out and the larger one to pad out behind her. "Well, what're you waiting for? Sit down."

"What, on the ground?" Elliot asked, watching Daphne scrape at his shoes.

"No, the invisible cloud." Rick said sarcastically as Elliot rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the ground. She wants to sit on your lap."

Elliot sighed and sat down, as did you. Daphne jumped on Elliot's lap, immediately sniffing his hoodie. Rocco, on the other hand, came over to you and began sniffing your hair. Much to your dismay, he licked it. 

"Use his bandana to wipe his drool, if you have to." Rick told you, watching you sit uncomfortably as the dog examined you. You gently tugged the red bandana from his neck and wiped up his dribbles. "We wash them all the time, anyway." 

By the time an hour had passed, you'd met every dog. Goldie, Jasmine, Jersey, Scottie, Pepper, Roscoe a d Fratz. You also met the two equally sized, second-ranked biggest dogs there. 

Hercules and Brutus. Hercules, the gentle giant of a Rottweiler and Brutus, the puppy at heart who was sat inside a Doberman's body. 

The two were happy to lick every square inch of skin and bark happily as they inspected you. Their names put you off at first, as they did Elliot, but Rick said they truly were babies. Their previous owner tried to train them to be attack dogs, but they couldn't be trained.

"We've actually got a person lined up. There's no way in hell I'm letting him get those dogs, though." Rick said as you and Elliot washed your hands (and any licked skin) before moving to the cat habitats. "He's mean." Rick muttered, his face contorting slightly. 

"How so?" You asked, Elliot listening intently.

"The last dog he adopted came back with bruises, (Y/N)." Rick sighed angrily. "We got her a wonderful home, though. She's in good hands, now anyway."

You nodded and frowned, Elliot frowning just as much before you both smiled at the better news. Dogs quickly broke from your mind as you heard the small meows of kittens and cats. You looked down at them, all roaming freely. A few sat upon cat towers. Their pens were open, clearly. 

"It's roaming time. Dogs already had their time, after all."

You'd never flopped on the ground faster.


End file.
